New Testament Christian Ministry!

New Testament Christian Ministry

Both in the Old Testament and New Testament anyone who wants to minister to a congregation, or a Church must be specifically called by God. In the Old Testament it was called as “Priesthood” and was specifically allotted to the tribe of Levi and the descendants of Aaron. Old Testament priesthood and New Testament Christian ministry differ in many aspects. New Testament Christian ministers are not the equivalent of Old Testament priests. In New Testament, all believers in Jesus Christ are addressed as saints and partakers of a royal priesthood (Ephesians 1:1; I Peter 2: 4,5,9). In the Old Testament the High Priest acted as a mediator between God and man (Hebrews 5:1). In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. Hence, Christian ministers are not mediators, and every Christian believer can communicate directly with God and approach the throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4: 14-16). 

Two types of Christian Ministries

In the New Testament period, there are two important Christian ministries

1) Ministry aimed at unbelievers for the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19,20)

2) Ministry that is done for the spiritual growth and edification of Christian believers (Ephesians 4:11 – 13).

The charge for the first ministry done towards the unbelievers is given to all Christian believers. However, for the second ministry, to serve the Christian believers for the spiritual growth and edification, the individual has to be specifically called by God (Hebrews 5:4).

Call of God for Christian Ministry

There are many types of “calling” mentioned in the Holy Bible, but there is a calling specially for ministry. There are 5 types of ministries within the Church (Ephesians 4:11-13). The calling could be for any one type or more than one types of ministries (II Timothy 1:11). No one can become a Christian minister without the call of God. A man or woman cannot become a pastor, teacher, apostle, prophet or shepherd simply because they are interested, devoted or someone dedicated them, laid their hands on them, prayed for them, forced them or as a family inheritance or because of any other motive. Hannah's dedication of Samuel for ministry even before he was born is sometimes erroneously quoted to encourage people to enter ministry without the call of God, merely because someone dedicated them for ministry. Hannah's dedication of Samuel was sealed by the call of God on his life and was revealed at the right time. The Holy Bible clearly states that Samuel was identified as a prophet by people only when God's acts was revealed through him and authenticated his call (I Samuel 3:19 - 21). 

In Matthew 9:36 - 38, when Jesus Christ saw the crowd of people, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus Christ told his disciples that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Jesus Christ recognised the need for workers in the field. Still, instead of directly commissioning them to work on the field, he told them to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field. It shows us the importance of receiving the call from God to do ministry. It is the call of God that enabled and still enables Christian missionaries, both men and women, to push boundaries and go to unknown and unchartered territories around the world to spread the love of God. It is the call of God upon their life that helps them to withstand the challenges, trials and persecutions.

Ministerial Families and Christian Ministry

The call of God for ministry does not automatically get transferred between husband and wife or from parents to children. There are no rules or regulations or compulsion in the Holy Bible that the partner of a Christian minister has to be called by God for ministry. If the call of God is not evident in their life they should desist from getting involved in ministerial roles. But it is highly beneficial if the life partner of a Christian minister is also called by God for ministry and equipped (Ecclesiastes 4:9,10). When a man or woman is not called by God and not equipped for ministry, he or she may try to use the acts of the flesh and ways of the world to engage in ministry which would result in believers' spiritual life being destroyed instead of being edified. Christian ministry involves watching over the souls of people, being accountable to God and being judged more strictly (Hebrews 13:17, James 3:1), hence it should be done only when someone is sure of their calling.

Children of Christian ministers should not be treated as little Christian Pastors and forced to perform spiritual acts on stages. This puts enormous unwarranted pressure on these children for which they are unequipped and unprepared. At times, it may also lead to these children having a false sense of spiritual supremacy and spiritual pride. There are some instances when families are called together by God for Christian ministry and appointed, but that should not be taken as the norm. 

Identifying true Christian Ministers

The call of God for ministry upon an individual’s life need not be advertised and it can be easily identified through

(i) Burden for souls with Agape love & humility - genuine care, concern and burden for souls expressed through agape love for people without differentiation or discrimination and true humility

(ii) Anointing and Spiritual strength upon that person’s life to take responsibility and accountability for the spiritual life of others 

(iii) Gifted with Grace, talents, abilities needed to fulfill the ministry through the gifts and fruit of the Spirit

The call of God upon a person's life cannot be negated by the actions of any other individual, leader or organization. No rejection, cancellation, isolation or persecution can stop a person who has received the call of God on their life. The call of God can be thwarted only by the disobedience and inaction of the particular individual himself or herself. If an individual submits himself or herself to the call of God, all the purposes of God for that individual's life will be brought into completion by God himself (Philippians 1:5,6). 

Being Equipped for Ministry

Any man or woman who are assured of God’s call in their life for ministry, should wait upon God till the appointed time to receive strength from on high and also equip themselves through thorough studying of scriptures and learning from the life of other senior Christian ministers. No one can teach others what he or she has not learnt first. Being well-versed in Scriptures and being spiritually and emotionally mature as explained in I Timothy 3rd chapter, Hebrews 5:12 – 14, II Corinthians 6:3 - 10 through spiritual experiences and life lessons are some of the basic qualifications for engaging in Christian ministry. Being proficient in Scripture doesn't refer to winning Memory Verse competition or Bible quiz competition. Such competitions are conducted to motivate and encourage young children and new believers to study the Scriptures. Understanding and unravelling the meaning and messages given in the Scriptures through the revelation given by the Holy Spirit and applying it in real life is the mature way of learning Scriptures. Studying theological courses is beneficial for those with the call of God to equip themselves with the word of God. But graduating from a Bible college should not be taken as an authentication for the call of God. 

Merely wearing a consecrated white dress or a special attire is also not a sign of the call for ministry. Men and women wearing a consecrated white dress or a special attire and having an unconsecrated dark heart is a disgrace not only to themselves but to the entire body of Christ. Jesus Christ condemned the seemingly sacred consecrated dresses of the Pharisees because of the wrong motive in their heart (Matthew 23:5-7). On the other hand, wearing extravagant and immodest dresses is also unworthy of the calling of God (I Corinthians 10:23). Immodest and extravagant dressing has a lot to do with the intent and motive of the heart behind wearing a particular dress than the colour or pattern of that dress. 

Pattern for Christian Leadership - Servant Leadership

Jesus Christ set the standard for all Christian ministers, when he denounced the practices of Old Testament Priests and Pharisees in Matthew 23rd Chapter. The pattern of leadership in Christianity is "servant Leadership" which was explained by Jesus Christ in Mark 10:45 "the son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many" when a dispute arose between his disciples as to who was the greatest among them. In the epistle to the Philippians addressed to the saints, overseers and deacons, Apostle Paul encouraged them to value others above themselves in humility having the same mindset as Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:1 - 11). 

Being involved in ministry or possessing special spiritual gifts does not place anyone above a fellow brother or sister in Christ. Jesus Christ did not remove himself the common crowd or from the people whom he served to take up a special place to show his superiority, speciality or place of authority. Instead, Jesus knowing that the Father had put all things under His power, took off his outer clothing, wrapped a towel around his waist and began to wash the feet of his disciples. That is the example he wanted us to follow (John 13:1-17). If Jesus Christ, being God incarnate and without sin can humble himself and take the place of a slave, how much more humility mere human beings need (Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 5:4 – 10). 

Duties of Christian Believers towards Christian Ministers

The Holy Bible acknowledges true Christian ministers as those who watch over the souls of the believers under their care and they are accountable to God (Hebrews 13:17). It takes a lot a spiritual effort and struggle to minister to people with various struggles, problems and burden of sin. Hence believers are encouraged to hold true Christian ministers in the highest regard in love because of their work. The Holy Bible also teaches that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel (I Corinthians 9:1-14). Many tribes, societies, cities and nations have been transformed because of the sacrificial work of Christian missionaries and ministers. It is an undeniable historical fact that most of the pioneering transformational works among nations were done by Christian missionaries and ministers. Many of the modern radicals accuse Christian missionaries and ministers of destroying their ancient culture. Christian missionaries have not prevented these radicals from rejecting and abandoning all the modern conveniences and returning back to the culture, customs and systems of their ancestors. But none of these accusers seemed to have done that so far!

Rewards for Christian Ministry

A true Christian minister does not expect or work for special honour, benefits or privileges and avoids any special treatment (Acts 14:1 – 18). God has promised reward for Christian life and ministry in the life after (Revelations 22:12). According to the Holy Bible, all those who enjoy the approval of people, and eagerly desire special acclamations, treatment, and placements for the good deeds they do or the service they provide, have already received their reward in full on earth itself and may have to miss out on their eternal rewards (Matthew 23:5 - 12; 6:1-5, 16). It would be deplorable to be considered the least in heaven after receiving all possible honours while on earth.

Jesus Christ forewarned that there will be many false Christian ministers in the last days. They will be like wolves in sheep’s clothing. Just like the Old Testament days, when the inferior priests appointed by Jeroboam became one of the main reasons for the downfall of the Kingdom of Israel (I Kings 13:33, 34; II Kings 17:21 - 23), any ministry that is done by a man or woman without the call of God and not according to the will of God can end up being a hindrance to the work of the Kingdom of God. Such individuals may be punished instead of being rewarded (Matthew 7:21 – 23; I Corinthians 3:9- 15).